Starch finishing and sizing composition and method of producing the same



Patented Mar. 10, 1942 ENT OFFICE- STARCH FINISHING AND SIZING COMPOSI- gION AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE Stoney Drake, Atlanta, Ga.

\ No Drawing.

Application May 10,- 1938,

Serial No. 207,057

. 16 Claims.

The present invention relates to starch finishing and sizing compositions and it particularly relates to aqueous gelatinized starch compositions which may be utilized for sizing cotton or other warps preparatory to weaving them into cloth, and for sizing cloth in finishing processes after the cloth has been bleached, dyed or otherwise finished.

In the usual textile mill a constant rubbing and friction upon the warps, caused by the eyes of the heddles in the harnesses during weaving of the cloth, requires that substantially all'of the warps and particularly the cotton or rayon warps be suitably sized or provided with protective coatings which will enable these warps to resist wear and friction'and also enable them to stand up for much longer periods of time githout breakage during the weaving opera- Moreover it is often desirable to treat woven or knitted fabrics after boiling ofli, dyeing, crush-proofing, fire-proofing, slip-proofing and so forth so that they will have a suitable texture, feel or qualitymost readily imparted to them by application of a sizing material, such as starch thereto.

These sizing andfinishing operations on textile materials, before or after they are formed into cloth by. weaving, consume tremendous quantities of starch and represent a substantial expenditure on the part of the mill,. weaving or finishingplant. This cost is often in large part due to the necessity of utilizing relatively expensive starch. compositions, such as those derived from the seeds of plants, such as maize -or corn, wheat, rice or from the pith of tree trunks, such as the Sago and so forth, all of which may well be termed above ground starches.

It also has been necessary immany instances time, the application of most satisfactory finto utilize relatively costly acid modified above round starches, such as acid modified corn starch. These above ground starches do not lend themselves most satisfactorily to most eflicient, economical operation of the weaving or finishing mill.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide improved starchsizing compositions and method of producing the same which will result in greatly reduced cost of manufacture and at the same time will produce satis-- ducing such compositions from above ground starches and which will enable, at the same ishes upon woven fabrics or sizes upon warps.

In accomplishing theseobjects it has been found under certain conditions that below ground starches, such as those derived from the bulbs or tubers of plants, such as potato starch, tapioca starch derived from the Cassava and so forth, may be most satisfactorily employed in sizing or finishing baths.

It long has been thought that-such starches, and particularly tapioca starch, are not suitable for warp sizing and it has been indicated that tapioca could only be utilized to produce a paste, which on boiling with water'would lose its strength. It was also indicated that tapioca could not be utilized in sizing warps, since it would not sufflciently strengthen them to withstand the constant friction and wear of the eyes of the heddles.

Tapioca and similar underground starches were particularlyunsatisfactory since they tended to lose their viscosity or body upon the prolonged cooking or boiling as is customary with sizing solutions.

However, tapioca starch and other boiling or cooking starches derived from underground sources are obtainable at a cost which is substantially less than the cost of overground starches, such as cereal starches or acid modified corn starch.

- It is, therefore, among the further objects of the present invention to obtain improved starch sizing'and finishing solutions from tapioca-starch and other underground starches which will produce most satisfactory sizing and finishing and which will give sized warps. or finished fabrics of as high quality as those Other objects will be obvious or will appear during the course of the following specification.

It has now been found that tapioca and other underground starches may be incorporated in cooking or boiling starch baths for finishing or sizing purposes in amounts up to to Wit 2%.

In the preferred procedure there is incorporated in such tapioca or underground starch baths, a relatively small amount, for examplefrom 2 to 30% of an overground starch, such as pearl corn starch and so forth.

Preferably the tapioca or below ground'starch should be both liquefied and gelatinized, while the corn starch or above ground starch should be only gelatinized.

To accomplish this, it has been found most desirable to react the starch composition with an amylolytic or starch liquefying enzyme which will be active between the temperatures of 125 'to 175 F. and which will have a substantial oreven optimum activity at about 150 F. The starch liquefying enzyme should preferably be of plant origin and should be active between pH6 and pH8 and most preferably should be active at about pH7.

Although many different types of starch liquefying enzymesmay be utilized, the most satisfactory are those which are derived by the growth of certain types of aerobic, spore-forming, non-pathogenic bacteria in thin layers, particularly bacteria such as mesentericus, subtilis, mycoides, liquefaciens. The enzymes may also be derived by the growth of fungi or molds such as Aspergillus oryzae or niger, Mucor delemar,

'Amulomyces rouxii, Penicillium glaucum and so forth.

The enzymatic products, derived in antiseptic or sterile condition as a result of themetabolic processes of these bacteria,fungi and molds are most satisfactorily added to the composite or As a result the solution or dispersion of starches will have a relatively stable viscosity, with the principal .body being due to the relatively small amount of the above ground starch and this ,viscosity will not be lessened by'prolonged heating,

cooking or boiling of the sizing or finishing solucombined starch composition at room temperature before gelatinization.

The enzyme preparation may .be added in amounts varying from 1 to 10% to starch compositions having 80 to 95% of tapioca starch and- 20 to 5% of corn starch to cause a liquefaction and stabilization of the tapioca without affecting the comstarch. The resultant starch dispersions Wili not deteriorate or decrease in sizing or finishing properties or in viscosity upon continued boiling or cooking. The relatively small amount of corn starch or other above ground starch, which is added, appears to assure an enhancement of the viscosity and fluidity of the combined size.

It has been found that the starch liquefying enzymes, as for example of the type mentioned abov will liquefy potato and tapioca starch, the granules of which have already been gelatinized attemperatures below 150 F. without affecting the wheat or rice starch which may be present, which latter may require gelatinizing temperatures of 167 or 176 F.

In the preferred procedure the mixture of the below ground or tapioca starch and above ground or corn starch containing the enzyme product is quickly heated up to say about 150 R, which will cause gelatinization of the tapioca starch and will not cause gelatinization of the cornstarch.

The starch liquefying enzyme will then cause a complete liquefaction of the tapioca starch within 15 to 20 minutes. The-resulting gelatiriized and liquefied tapioca dispersion will then acquire stabilized viscosity characteristics and it will have afluidity after this liquefaction, which is substantially comparable to that of water. e w The amount of liquefying enzyme added is preferably so controlled that it will mostly be taken" tion.

Even though the starch composition be boiled continuously for say 1 to 4 hours, its viscosity will remain substantially unaffected and its desirable sizing or finishing properties will npt be subject to deterioration.

To'give a typical example the following composition may be prepared: Pearl corn starch pounds 20 Tapioca starch do Starch liquefying enzyme (Arcy 4-K) do 1 Water sufficient to finish the size after cooking has been completed gallons The starches and starch liquefying agent or enzyme are first added to about 60 gallons of tap water and then steam is run into the water to bring the temperature up to apoint at which the mixture tends to become very thick. This temperature is preferably about to 154 F. and this thickening is completed .by gelatinizatlon of the tapioca starch.

When the temperature reaches this thickening stage, the steam is turned off and'left off for about 15 to 20 minutes to permit completion of the liquefaction of the tapioca under the influence of the starch liquefying enzyme.

Then thesteam is tiir temperature is quickly brought up to a boil in a .few minutes to kill or deactivate the residual enzyme material, if any, and to prevent liquefaction of the corn starch. As a result, there will be state until completely consumed.

hour, during which time softeners, antiseptics and the like may be added, if desired. Finally,

suflicient water is'added to bring the volume up to a definite predetermined amount, for example 100 gallons. The size or finish may then be used, and it is usually maintained in heated or boiling If desired, small amounts of water soluble fluorides may be added, such as sodium, potassium or ammonium fluorides to-c'ontrol the boiling characteristics and decrease the foaming of the starch composition'andalso to increase or enhance the tensile strength of any warp or fabric which may be treated with the size. These fluorides should not be utilized in amounts of more than about 1 to'5%.

-- It is also possible under certain conditions to -utiiize dispersed'oily, waxy and fatty materials in small quantitiesup to 10%, such as, for example, olive oil, tallow, fatty alcohols, such as 'stearyl or lauryl alcohols, white mineral oil, fatty acids, such as oleic or stearic acid. waxes, such as spermaceti or wool wax and so forth, which may be in sulphonated, suiphated or hydrogenated condition, if desired, orwhich may be utilized in untreated condition.

It is to be understood that other below ground ned on again and the starches may be substituted for tapioca starch and other above ground starches may be substituted for corn starch and, if desired, derivative ground starches, such as wheat, rice or otherv cereal starches and combinations of below ground starches, such as potato and tapioca starches.

Compositions containing tapioca, potato, com

and rice starch, which have been prepared according to the above procedure, have been found to be satisfactory for many purposes.

If desired, the sizing or finishing may also contain formaldehyde, hexamethylene tetramine, monoor di-methylol ureas. 'vinylite or acrylic compounds and so forth. If desired, the starch sizes or finishes may be treated after applica- .tion to the yarn or fabric with formaldehyde or with methylol ureas.

Gelatin, casein and other protein materials may also be included in the size, in addition to the sodium sulphates of lauryl, myricyl, oleyl, stearyl and palmityl alcohols.

It is also often desirable to use small amounts of buifer salts, such as potassium, sodium or ammonium phosphates, suiphites, borates, bicarbonates and so forth. After the size or finish is applied to a yarn or fabric, and particularly to a cotton or rayon yarn or fabric, with or without various added ingredients above mentioned, the fabric may be subjected to a short baking or heating treatment varying from say larger proportion than the former, said composition having a relatively constant fluidity and viscosity, th former being gelatinized and the latter being both gelatinzed and liquefied, and the former being present in proportions varying from about about 2 to 30% and the latter be-' ing present in proportions. varying from '70 to SYN/ 2. An aqueous starch sizing and finishing composition comprising a relatively large quantity of water and a relatively small quantity of a combination of above ground and below ground starches, the latter being in greater proportion other cereal starch, the latter primarily supplying the body or viscosity to the size or finishing bath. I

It is generally desirable to use a blend of as large a proportion of the less costly tapioca starch and as small .a proportion of the more costly corn starch as possible, audit is possible to reduce the percentage or proportion of corn starch by utilizing special pearl starches running a Scott" viscosity of 150 instead of or-in addition to the use of regular pearl corn starch lunning a Scott" viscosity of 75.

As a general rule the liquefying agent or enzyme preparation employed is not eflective until the starch is gelatinized and for this reason maximum control is obtained when the starches differ substantially in gelatinizing temperature so that one starch may be gelatinized "and then liquefied before the other starch is gelatinized.

It is to be understood that the various specific proportions and compounds above mentioned have been mentioned by way of illustration; and notby way of limitation andthat many alternatives, modifications and changes may be made in the above identified procedures and compositions specifically described without departing from the essential features of the present invention, all of which it is ,intended to cover. broadly by the present invention.

What is claimed is: a

'l. A starch sizing'and finishing composition comprising an above ground starch and a below than the former, the former being gelatinized 1 and the latter being both gelatinized and liquefied.

3. An aqueous starch finishing and sizing composition comprising corn starch and tapioca starch, the latter being present in greater quantity than the former, the former. being gelatinized and the latter being both gelatinized and liquefied, and the former being present in proportions varying from about 2 to 30% and the latter being present in proportions varying from '70,to 97 4. A starch sizing and finishing composition comprising about 5 to 30 pounds of'pearl corn starch, and about 95 to pounds of tapioca starch in about a hundred gallons of water, the

former being gelatinized and the latter being both-gelatinized and liquefied.

5. A starch sizing and finishing solution comprising about5 to 30 pounds of a gelatinized, unliquefied above ground starch, about 70 to pounds of," a gelatinized and liquefied below ground starch and about a hundred gallons of 'water.

6. A starch composition comprising a relatively large; amount of water and a relatively small amount of starch, said starch being composed of a a major proportion of a liquefied gelatinized below .ground component and a minor proportion of an unliquefied gelatinized above ground component.

7. A starch solution comprising a relatively large amount of water and a relatively small amount of starch, said starch being composed of 2 to 30 parts by weight of a liquefied gelatinized below ground starch 70 to QYI /A'par-ts by weight of an unliquefied gelatinized above ground starch;

8. A process of making an aqueous starch sizing and finishing bath, which comprises gelatinizing a mixture of below ground and above ground starches in an aqueous bath and liquefying only the below ground starches present by a starch liquefying enzyme at a temperature below that at which the enzyme action is destroyed.

9. A process of making an aqueous starch sizing and finishing bath, which comprises combining below and above ground starches in an aqueous bath, causing enzyme liquefaction of the below ground only starch by a starch liquefying enzyme at a temperature below.l75 F. and causing gelatinization of all of the starch by heating ground starch, th latter being in substantially 75 to an elevated temperature.

10. A process of making anaqueous starch sizing and finishing bath, which comprises incorporating a mixture of low temperature and high temperature gelatinizing starches in an aqueous bath, gelatinizing the low temperature starch by boiling, liquefying the low starch after gelatinization by a-starch liquefyi-ng enzyme at a temperature below F., and then gelatinizing the high temperature starch by boiling while preventing its liquefaction.

11. A process of making an aqueous starch sizing and iln ishing'bath, which comprises dispersing'-ab'o\e"jg'round and below ground starches in anfiaqu'eous'bath, gelatir'iizing the below ground starch by boiling at a temperature insuflicient to gelatinize the'above ground starches and then liquefying the below ground starch by a starch liquefying enzyme at a temperature below that at which the enzyme action is destroyed, and then gelatinizing the above ground starch by boiling at a temperature suillcient to kill the enzyme.

12. A process of making an aqueous starch sizing and finishing bath, which comprises dispersing a relatively smallamount of an above ground starch and a relatively large amount of a below ground starch in an aqueous bath, raising-the baths to a temperature to cause gelatinization of the below ground starch and not of the above ground starch with a starch liqueiying enzyme,

enzyme capable of liquefying starch heating to between about to F., maintaining it at this temperature for a sufliclent period of time to liquefy the tapioca starch and again heating up to a boil so as to gelatinize the corn starchfand at the same time destroy the enzyme before it liquefies the corn starch.

15. A starch solution comprising about 2 /2 to 30 parts by weight of a gelatinized, unliquefled above ground starch, about 70 to 97 /2 parts by weight or a gelatinized and liquefied below ground starch and about'eight hundred and thirty five parts by weight of water.

16. A process of makingan aqueous starch bath, which comprises dispersing a relatively large amount of 9. below ground starch and a relatively small amount of an above ground starch in an aqueous bath in the presence of an enzyme capable of llqueiying starch, heating to between about 125 to F., maintaining it at this temperature for a sufllcient period of time to liquefy the first starch and again heating up to a boil so as to gelatinize the second starch and at the same time destroy the enzyme before it liquefies the second starch.

srornsnr DRAKE. 

